By Mohamed Fatah Puntland has been at the forefront of a critical and sustained military campaign against ISIS (Daacish) terrorists, achieving significant gains in the Bari region of Cal Miskaad mountains, where the group has established a stronghold. From this base, ISIS has orchestrated terrorist activities not only within Puntland but also across Somalia and the broader Red Sea region,...
June 26, 2025
War in southeastern Mudug displaces hundreds of families
(ERGO) – Fighting between government forces and Al-Shabaab in southeastern Mudug, central Somalia, has caused havoc for civilian populations over the past two months, causing hundreds to flee to camps lacking basic services. More than 230 families have joined Somaliweyn camp in Harhar since 5 January 2025, when conflict stepped up. Ubax Salad Sabriye’s family of seven, who once relied on...
Sudan takes United Arab Emirates to ICJ for ‘genocide’ support in war-torn country
ISTANBUL– Sudan filed a case Wednesday against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for being “complicit in the genocide on the Masalit” in West Darfur through its “direction of and provision of extensive financial, political, and military support for the rebel RSF militia.” Sudan alleged that the UAE enabled “genocide, murder, theft of property,...
Weaponizing the Skies: How Somalia’s President is Using Civil Aviation as a Tool of Oppression
By Abdullahi A. Nor In the grand theatre of Somali politics, where irony and hypocrisy often take center stage, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has managed to pull off a spectacular act. Once a vocal critic of weaponizing civil aviation, he has now become its master practitioner. In a move that would make even the most hardened autocrats raise an eyebrow,...
The Fallout of U.S. Aid Suspension Amid Somalia’s Political Crisis: A Tale of Desperation and Unlikely Alliances
By Mohamed A Yasin It seems the sun hasn’t been shining on Somalia lately. If anything, it’s been hidden behind a thick cloud of political fragmentation and security woes, all worsened by the U.S. deciding to cut off its financial lifeline. And let me tell you, when the U.S. pulls the plug on Somalia’s aid—humanitarian, military, you name it—the nation...
Somalia at a Crossroads: The Promise and Pitfalls of Oil Exploration and Production
By Mohamed A. Abdullahi A nation, with a long history of conflict, political instability, and economic trials, Somalia stands on the threshold of a transformative opportunity: oil exploration and production. With prospects of having vast untapped hydrocarbon reserves- with some rough estimates of 30 billion barrels of oil and gas reserves, off and onshore collectively, the east African nation could...
UN calls for more gender equality efforts in Somalia
MOGADISHU (Xinhua) — The United Nations mission in Somalia joined the global community in marking International Women’s Day on Saturday by calling on the authorities to take decisive steps to achieve gender equality in the country. James Swan, acting special representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia, lauded the progress so far made by the authorities and urged them to...
Muslim nations reject Trump’s call to empty Gaza of its Palestinian population
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Foreign ministers from Muslim nations on Saturday rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s calls to empty the Gaza Strip of its Palestinian population and backed a plan for an administrative committee to govern the territory to allow reconstruction to go ahead. Meanwhile, Hamas reported “positive signals” in talks with Egyptian and Qatari mediators on starting negotiations on...
Ethiopia launches air strikes against al-Shabab in Somalia
ADDIS ABABA, (Xinhua) — Ethiopia’s air force has carried out air strikes against al-Shabab militants in Somalia’s Middle Shabelle Region, Ethiopia’s state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate reported on Friday. The air strikes came after the signing of a security pact between Somalia and Ethiopia last month. “No air strikes can take place in Somalia without the government’s knowledge,” Somali Minister of...
Contradictions in Mogadishu: Security Warnings Versus Government Denials
By Mohamed A Yasin Somalia’s government appears to be caught in an alternate reality, where the security situation is “better than ever,” despite international airlines canceling flights, Western embassies sounding alarm bells, and Al-Shabaab gleefully proving them all right. While EgyptAir, Qatar Airways, and Turkish Airlines scramble to avoid an impending disaster, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud insists that everything is...